Mulayam says 'lack of unity' reason for Samajwadi Party's loss in UP civic polls

In a surprise announcement, the Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav today announced that he will not contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Azamgarh and will move to his traditional seat Mainpuri.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Mulayam had contested from Mainpuri and Azamgarh Lok Sabha seats simultaneously. After winning both the seats, he had left Mainpuri to retain Azamgarh. 

Earlier, Mulayam had won three times from Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency which is considered a Samajwadi Party bastion. In the 2014 by-polls, Mulayam’s grand nephew and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son-in-law Tej Pratap SinghYadav won from the constituency. 

Speaking to mediapersons in Eatwah, Mulayam said he will leave Azamgarh to contest again from Mainpuri.

When asked about party’s debacle in recently-concluded urban local bodies’ polls, Mulayam said there was no unity in the party. “If Shivpal Singh Yadav was given the campaigning charge, results would have been better,” he pointed.

He also showed reservations on son Ahilesh Yadav's decision to contest five seats in Gujarat and actively campaign there. 

“Samajwadi Party will lose all the five seats,” he predicted.